Oh, what a crazy past few months it has been, indeed! Who knew plans could change so drastically in so little time?!
I was super excited about heading to India for three months to teach photography with an organization called Fairmail. I would’ve been working with “less fortunate” (I hate that term) kids in a small town called Varanasi. The organization takes the best photos the kids take, and turns them into postcards to sell, which the kids then get profit from for education and living expenses. It’s really kind of a neat concept, and I was super excited to be accepted as a teacher with them.
Buuuuut, now I’m not going. At least for now. One day I will, it’s definitely something that has been in my heart for a while now! The reason?
Belfast. Aye, probably the only that could’ve changed my mind, ha! I applied for a Masters program in Belfast earlier this year, not fully expecting to get accepted… When I didn’t hear back, I made the plans for India. Then out of the blue I got an acceptance letter (like 5 weeks before the course started!), and that’s when the terrible week of contemplation and decision making ensued.
Yeah, I ended up picking Belfast. And I definitely feel bad about having to pull out of India (not to mention having bought a non-refundable ticket, arg!), but I think it was the right decision… It’s incredibly crazy last minute, but it seems that it is what I have been, essentially, wanting since I got back in January and the timing and way it worked out seems to be kind of a “God thing”. So, it pleases me to say that it appears that I will be spending the next season in Belfast again, and I am super excited to see what’s ahead!! Not to mention living in the same place as some of my favourite people again!!
The program is at the same university I studied at before, which will result in a MA Multidisciplinary Design… I’m (hopefully) going to focus research/skills/study on the relation of photography and graphic design, particularly in relation to advertising. I’ve always found “surrealistic” images incredibly interesting, and I think it would be rather interested to look into their effectiveness as a means of visual communication design, both in theory and practice. So that leaves me having to write a research proposal (for which this blog is a means of procrastinated, ha!).
So yes – barring the conquering of certain visa issues – I will be moving back to Belfast for another year and a half… next month! And India, I am coming for you next!!
